Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Director of undergraduate studies: Shiri Goren; nelc.yale.edu
The major in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC) explores the history and cultural traditions of the ancient, classical, and modern Middle East, including northeast Africa. Students acquire proficiency in languages and skills for interpreting literature, art, and material culture from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia; late antiquity and Classical Islam; or the contemporary moment, explored through the modern languages of Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish. Inherently interdisciplinary, the program emphasizes analytic and reflective learning.
While the Near East is studied for its own intrinsic literary, historic, and artistic interest, as well as its cultural and historical legacies, study of a world distant in time and space also can open new ways of understanding our own. NELC majors go on to careers in government, foreign service, international finance, law, education, and even medicine and public health. The major also provides a strong foundation for graduate study and academic research.
Languages offered include: modern Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish (including Ottoman Turkish); Classical Arabic and Classical Persian; Biblical Hebrew and ancient Assyrian & Babylonian, Egyptian, Old Persian, Syriac, and Sumerian. Students with experience in any of the modern languages must take a placement test at the beginning of the fall term. See the department website or the Center for Language Study for details.
All modern languages, as well as ancient Assyrian & Babylonian, Egyptian, and Biblical Hebrew are offered in multi-year sequences and can be taken to fulfill the foreign language requirement. The department also offers Advanced Language Certificates in Arabic, Hebrew, and Turkish; ancient Egyptian; and an interdisciplinary certificate in Persian and Iranian Studies. Many majors undertake intensive language study abroad during the summers, and the language faculty advises students on recommended programs.
COURSE NUMBERING
Courses numbered NELC 0010–0990 are first-year seminars, with enrollments capped at 18. Courses in the NELC 1000–1999 range are introductory lecture courses, and NELC 2000–2999 are seminars with enrollment capped at 18. These courses have no prerequisites and are designed for students of any background or major. Courses designated NELC 3000-3990 are more challenging and typically meet once a week. Numbers in the NELC 4000–4999 designate courses offered by visiting scholars or are courses related to the senior project.
Requirements of the Major
See Links to the attributes indicating courses approved for Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations major requirements.
The major requires twelve term courses, including the senior requirement. Working with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS), students develop coherent programs of study in one of two concentrations.
Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations Concentration (Depth) This concentration is for students who wish to focus in depth on a particular language and/or civilization, such as ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia; the classical Near East or medieval Islam; or modern Near Eastern culture through research conducted in modern Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish. Contextualized through the study of literature, religion, art and archaeology, and history, this concentration enables students to study intensively a civilization of the Near East through in-depth study of one or two Near Eastern languages and written texts in their original languages.
Requirements to earn the depth concentration are 6 term courses in one or two Near Eastern languages; one NELC Foundations course; four NELC electives, chosen in consultation with the DUS (no more than two may be counted from other departments/programs); and the senior project (see below).
Near Eastern Languages, Civilizations, and Culture Concentration (Breadth) This concentration is suitable for students wishing to study the languages and civilizations of the Near East more broadly. It provides flexibility to study the Near East in its historical and cultural breadth, and to explore its long-lived civilizations over time or comparatively. Students in this concentration take a range of classes and, in consultation with the DUS, design their course of study according to their specific interests. Recent examples include ancient Near Eastern literature, philosophy in medieval Islam, memory and nostalgia in novels of a Soviet emigre to (the modern state of) Israel.
Requirements to earn the breadth concentration are four term courses in Near Eastern languages; two NELC Foundations courses; five NELC electives, including one on the ancient Near East, one on the medieval Near East, and one on the modern Middle East; and the senior project (see below).
Near Eastern Languages and Civilization majors are encouraged to take related courses in other departments and programs to complement their interests and round out their intellectual formation. These typically include courses in Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Comparative Literature, Islamic Studies, Judaic Studies, History, History of Art, History of Science, Medicine and Public Health, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. Above all, complementary courses should be chosen according to the interests of the student and in consultation with the DUS or faculty adviser. If courses outside the department include substantial Near Eastern content and are relevant to the student's overall program of study, they may be approved at the discretion of the DUS toward the elective requirement for the major. No more than two courses taken from outside the department can be counted toward fulfilling the major.
Credit/D/Fail No more than one course taken Cr/D/Fail can be applied toward the requirements of the major.
Outside credit Courses taken at another institution or during an approved summer or term-time study abroad program may count toward the major requirements with DUS approval. A maximum of two outside credits is allowed.
Senior Requirement
The senior requirement is an opportunity for students to design and execute an independent research project, bringing to bear their intellectual curiosity as well as philological and analytic skills honed during their time at Yale. It is also a chance to be mentored by a member of the faculty who serves as adviser to the project, which typically culminates in an essay of about 25-35 pages (one-semester project) or 45-55 pages (year-long project). Conversations about the senior project should begin with the DUS no later than fall of junior year, especially if the student plans to undertake summer research travel.
In rare occasions and only with advanced written agreement of the instructor and the DUS, a research paper for an upper-level seminar may be developed and expanded to satisfy the senior requirement. In such cases, the project must constitute work substantially beyond the requirements of the seminar paper.
Each year the DUS provides majors with resources, guidelines, and for juniors and seniors, a timetable of deadlines for both the one-semester and year-long senior project. Seniors present their respective projects in a senior showcase event in April.
SUMMARY OF MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Prerequisites None
Number of courses 12 term courses (including the senior req)
Distribution of courses Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations concentration (Depth)—6 term courses in 1 or 2 Near Eastern languages; 1 Foundations course; and 4 electives; Near Eastern Languages, Civilizations, and Culture concentration (Breadth)—4 term courses of 1 or more Near Eastern languages; 2 Foundations courses; 5 NELC electives to include 1 ancient, 1 medieval, and 1 modern
Requirements
12 courses (12 credits), including the senior requirement
Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations concentration (Depth)
- 6 courses in 1 or 2 Near Eastern languages
- 1 NELC Foundations course
- 4 NELC electives
- NELC 4920 and/or NELC 4930
Near Eastern Languages, Civilizations, and Culture concentration (Breadth)
The major in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations is for students interested in any ancient, classical, or modern languages and civilizations of the Near East: Arabic, Egyptian, Hebrew, Iranian, Mesopotamian, or Turkish. Students acquire a solid foundation in languages and in critical analysis as they study the complex civilizations of this culturally diverse and politically significant region of the globe. Small classes, hands-on learning with primary sources in Yale's special collections, and considerable flexibility characterize students' experience in the major.
Interested first-year students are encouraged to consult the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) as early as possible to clarify their interests and chart their course of study. Majors often obtain unique museum, archaeological, or linguistic experience at Yale or abroad, for which advance planning is crucial.
Particularly suitable for first-year students are the department's first-year seminars and courses numbered NELC 0001–2990.
Examples of First-year seminars:
NELC 0010, Egypt and Northeast Africa: A Multidisciplinary Approach
NELC 0020, The Discovery of Egypt and Europe's Age of Enlightenment
NELC 0030, Medieval Travel and Exploration
NELC 0040, Earliest Literature of the Ancient World
NELC 0050, The Ancient Egyptian Empire of the New Kingdom
NELC 0060, Six Pretty Good Journeys
NELC 0070, Six Pretty Good Heroes
NELC 0260, Origins of Civilization: Egypt and Mesopotamia
Examples of introductory lectures and seminars:
NELC 1150, The Bible in Its Near Eastern Setting
NELC 1210, The Hero in the Ancient Near East
NELC 1300, Mesopotamia's Literary Legacy
NELC 1310, The Quran
NELC 1320, The Islamic Near East from Muhammad to the Mongol Invasion
NELC 1550, State and Society in Israel
NELC 1570, Israeli Narratives
NELC 2010, The Arabian Nights, Then and Now
NELC 2430, Archaeology of Ancient Egypt: An Introduction
Students considering any of the languages taught by the department are invited to contact the DUS or the program coordinator for the relevant language (see below for Arabic and Hebrew). Interested students are encouraged to begin language study as early as possible, especially if their plans include study abroad.
Placement examinations in modern Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish are held in the summer. Interested students should check the Yale College placement exams page or the Center for Language Study for updated information about language placement. Students may also contact the Language Program Directors (see below) or the DUS for information.
Beginning Arabic study at Yale
The beginning two-semester course sequence, ARBC 1100 and ARBC 1200, carries three course credits for the year. Students learn the fundamentals of grammar of modern standard Arabic, an official language of the United Nations, and develop skills in reading and listening comprehension and in writing.
Students interested in continued study of modern standard Arabic follow the beginning sequence with ARBC 1300, ARBC 1400 (Intermediate), and ARBC 1500, ARBC 1510 (Advanced). Students interested in studying classical Arabic follow the beginning sequence with ARBC 1360 and ARBC 1460.
Any student considering the NELC major with a focus on Arabic or any major with an Arabic language component should consult with the Director of the Arabic program (sarab.alani@yale.edu) or the DUS (shiri.goren@yale.edu) over the summer or at the beginning of the fall semester. Students with prior knowledge of Arabic may be eligible for placement in advanced courses.
Beginning Hebrew study at Yale
The beginning two-semester course sequence, HEBR 1100 and HEBR 1200, carries three course credits for the year and is followed by HEBR 1300, HEBR 1400 (Intermediate) and a variety of advanced content courses. Students considering the NELC major with a focus on Hebrew or any major with a Hebrew language component should consult with the director of the Hebrew program and NELC DUS (shiri.goren@yale.edu) over the summer or at the beginning of the fall semester. Students with prior knowledge of modern Hebrew may be eligible for placement in advanced courses.
Other Near Eastern Languages
Beginning courses in Babylonian, Egyptian, Ottoman Turkish, Persian, and Turkish are open to first-year students. All beginning two-semester language sequences start in the fall semester. Please contact the DUS with any questions.
Certificate of Advanced Language Study
The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations offers a Certificate of Advanced Language Study in Ancient Egyptian, Arabic, Hebrew, and Turkish. A certificate adviser, typically the language program coordinator or the DUS, advises students on the certification process. The Certificate of Advanced Language Study, once completed, is listed on the student's transcript.
Requirements for the arabic, hebrew, and Turkish certificates
Students seeking to earn the certificate are required to take four courses beyond the L4 level in their chosen language, at least two of which must be Yale courses designated as L5. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and students must achieve a grade of B or above. With prior approval of the adviser, one advanced non-L5 Yale course and/or a course graded pass/fail, conducted in the target language, such as an independent study course (for Turkish certificates only), a graduate seminar, or an advanced seminar may count toward certification requirements.
The certificate adviser may allow one “language across the curriculum” (LxC) course taught in English to count toward the certification requirements provided the course includes at minimum a weekly discussion section conducted entirely in the target language. The discussion section must enroll a minimum of three students and the course must be designated as LxC in the course description.
The certificate adviser may also approve the substitution of up to two credits earned during study abroad and taught in the target language to count toward the certificate requirements. If the adviser approves courses taken outside of Yale for inclusion in the certificate requirements, students are responsible for taking the necessary steps to ensure that those courses appear on their transcripts.
Requirements for the Ancient Egyptian certificate
Students seeking to earn the certificate are required to take four courses beyond the L3 level, at least two of which must be Yale courses designated as L5. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and students must achieve a grade of B or above. With the approval of the certificate adviser, an advanced texts seminar, and/or a graduate seminar may count toward certification requirements. At the discretion of the certificate adviser, students may, with prior permission, substitute a maximum of two courses of credit-bearing academic study abroad.
Credit/D/Fail No courses taken Credit/D/Fail may be counted toward the requirements of any of the certificates.
Declaration of Candidacy
Students must declare their intention to earn a Certificate on the Declare Major, Concentration within the Major, Certificate page on Yale Hub, as early as possible, but at the very latest, by the 15th of January or September in their last semester at Yale. Once declared, Degree Audit tracks students' progress toward completion of the certificate.
FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES AND CIVILIZATIONS
Sarab Al Ani, Victoria Almansa-Villatoro, Muhammad Aziz, Gojko Baramovic, Nicholas Brown, John Darnell, Jonas Elbousty, Ozgen Felek, Benjamin Foster, Eckart Frahm, Shiri Goren, Agnete Lassen, Gregory Marouard, Jane Mikkelson, Christopher Minkowski, Nadine Moeller, Randa Muhammed, Dina Roginsky, Emilie Sarrazin, Farkhondeh Shayesteh, Kathryn Slanski, Netta Sovinsky, Avary Taylor, Shawkat Toorawa, Kevin Van Bladel, Klaus Wagensonner, Harvey Weiss, Meryem Ezgi Yalcin, Orit Yeret